trade secret

noun

: something (such as a formula) which has economic value to a business because it is not generally known or easily discoverable by observation and for which efforts have been made to maintain secrecy

Examples of trade secret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Between March and April 2023, Gong allegedly transferred more than 3,600 files from his work laptop to three personal storage devices, including files with trade secrets on technology for the military. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024

Appian accused the company of stealing trade secrets. —Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2024

Concerns about trade secrets and confidential information could lead to problems for you, your current employer, and the new company. —Amii Barnard-Bahn, Harvard Business Review, 11 Oct. 2024

In March, for example, a former Google engineer was charged with stealing AI trade secrets for a Chinese firm. —Seth Fiegerman, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

trade secret

noun

trade se·​cret

: a formula, process, device, or item of information used by a business that has economic value because it is not generally known or easily discovered by observation or examination and for which reasonable efforts to maintain secrecy have been made

Note: Trade secrets are a form of intellectual property. Many states have enacted laws which create an action for damages or injunctive relief against misappropriation of trade secrets by improper means. Information contained in a patent is not protected as a trade secret.